


The Dynamic Duo

by Yadirocks



Category: Baseball RPF
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-23
Updated: 2014-07-16
Packaged: 2018-01-26 06:19:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 17,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1677905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yadirocks/pseuds/Yadirocks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He was new; if you saw the way his teammates treated him, you'd know that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The New Kid

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on this story for about a year now, and my friends who have read it say it's the best I've ever written. So, I hope you like it!

He was new; if you saw the way his teammates treated him, you'd know that. As soon as Adam Wainwright had walked into the Cardinals' clubhouse, he'd been stared at. Adam knew that they didn't like him, and for a while, he didn't care. He hadn't been brought up from the minors to the majors because the Cardinals were desperate.

Adam was actually a pretty decent pitcher, or at least, that's what he thought. Sure, he lost games, but every pitcher does at some point. Wainwright was able to deal with the insults whispered between his teammates behind his back and the warning glares he'd get when he'd try to invoke a conversation. Adam was a pretty easy-going guy, but even he had a breaking point. One day, his fellow players made him pull the last straw.

He had walked into the locker room to get some of his equipment. As soon as he stepped into the room, the chatter he had heard from his teammates from the outside suddenly disappeared, the place going completely silent as he crossed to his locker. He wasn't expecting to find his locker empty of all of his stuff, including the pictures of his wife and his newborn baby. A note on the side of the locker said 'Your stuff is in the trash cans all over Busch. Once you find it all, take your junk and get back to the minors'.

Adam clenched the note in his fist, his face turning red with anger. Before anyone could see the tears that were slowly sliding down his face, he ran out of the locker room. Right now, he just wanted to be as far away as possible from the people he was forced to call 'teammates'; they definitely weren't acting like teammates right now.

When he reached the stands of the stadium, he went down the empty rows, taking a seat in an isle chair. Wainwright put his head in his hands, feeling more hot tears fill his eyes.

He didn't hear the footsteps coming nearer to him, and didn't even notice when they started to walk down the stairs and finally stopped at his chair. Adam didn't even know anyone was there until a hand was placed on his shoulder. Wainwright jumped, startled by the sudden appearance of who looked to be one of his teammates.

The man had slightly darker skin than Adam's, and he could definitely tell that he was from another nationality. He was dressed in the Cardinals uniform, a white jersey with white pants and a red belt laced through the loops. He had short, black hair, and even though his eyes were a deep brown color, they were soft and gentle.

"I don't know what to ask first; why are you crying or what are you doing over here all by yourself..."

Adam gave him a weak smile. "I can answer both with one explanation, I guess."

His teammate held up his hand, "Wait, before you do that, I don't even know your name."

The pitcher stuck out his hand awkwardly. "I'm Adam Wainwright, but for some reason, everyone seems to want to call me Waino."

The man laughed, "Do you want me to call you Waino?"

"Please don't."

"OK, then I won't. My name is Yadier Molina, but everyone calls me Yadi. You can call me that if you want; I'm used to it by now. What position do you play?"

"I'm a pitcher."

Yadier smiled. "I'm a catcher."

They shook hands, and Yadi smiled. "So, now you can continue with explaining why you were out here all by yourself."

Adam thought for a moment before telling Yadi everything that his other teammates had done to him, from giving him nasty glares to throwing all of his stuff in the trash cans. He even showed Yadi the note that they had left on his locker. He watched for Yadi's reaction, and there definitely was one.

The catcher's eyes took an angry glint before going back to their normal gentleness when he looked at Adam. "Let me get this straight....they've been doing things like this since you got here?"

Adam shook his head, "No, but they've been acting like they don't want me here."

Yadi was silent for a moment, and Adam watched him curiously. Finally, Yadi stood and smiled at Adam. "Well, let's go find your stuff."

Wainwright shook his head. "It'll take hours-"

"Yeah yeah, life sucks, I know. We either go now and search the trash cans or we can sit here and sulk all day and wait for the garbage man to get here. Which, by what Tony LaRussa says, the guy doesn't come until Tuesday, so we'll be waiting...let me think...96 hours. What do you want to do?"

Molina cocked an eyebrow. "I'm good with both, I like digging through trash and my life isn't exactly a bundle of happiness either."

Adam laughed, even though he knew that his teammate was being completely serious. Yadi offered a hand to help him up. Adam took it, following Yadi as the catcher walked up the stairs and looked in the trash can that was up there. "Oh, look at that! A hat! I wonder who put that there...."

He pulled it out, dusted it off, before placing it on Adam's head. "There you go."

They went around the entire stadium, laughing and having fun despite the smell of the garbage. Yadi took out Adam's jersey from one can. When he got a whiff of it, he threw it at Adam. "Yeah, you might need to wash that. Please do, I don't want to smell you from the behind the plate."

As soon as they gathered all of Adam's equipment, they walked back to the locker room. When Yadi came in with Adam, the buzz of the locker room quieted. Yadi smiled. "Don't mind us, just putting Adam's things back into his locker. You know, it was the weirdest thing, all of his stuff was in the trash cans! How crazy is that?"

No one said anything, but Yadi didn't seem to expect an answer. He just placed Adam's stuff back into its rightful place, doing so as if it was the most important job in the world. Still smiling, he said, "That was a fun little scavenger hunt," he said. The volume of his voice went up as he said, "It better not happen again, though."

He looked at the people in the locker room when he said this, pausing for a moment before hugging Adam. At first, it was an awkward hug, but then Yadi whispered, "If they do anything like that again, come and find me."

Yadi pulled away. "I'm always around."

With that, he left the room and also isolated Adam in silence. He knew that his teammates still didn't want him here. As he adjusted the photo of himself holding his newborn baby, though, he thought, at least one of them cared enough to understand.


	2. Framed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nothing is worse than getting confronted by your manager when you first walk into the stadium and he says, "May I see you in my office?"

When Adam got to Busch the next day, before he even got to the locker room, he was confronted by the manager, Tony LaRussa. "Hey, Adam, can I see you in my office for a minute?"

Uh oh. Adam couldn't help but think to himself, you blew your chance, you're getting sent back down. He could already hear Tony trying to explain it, could already see himself packing up his locker and watching the happy smiles on everyone's faces as he left. LaRussa apparently had different things on his mind, though.

"Yesterday, someone spray-painted Rafael Furcal's locker. Now, I'm not saying it was you, but Furcal said that he saw a thing of spray paint in your bag. When I got here this morning, there was some spray paint near your locker. Adam, I'm not going to sugarcoat anything. If you did this, you will be sent back down to the minors and will be suspended fifteen games."

Adam's jaw dropped. "Tony, I swear, I didn't do it."

Tony took off his glasses, looking down at the ground before sighing. "I want to believe you, Adam. I really do. But the boys said you've been acting weird and one even said he saw you in here late last night."

Of course they did, those dirty liars, Adam thought to himself. Wainwright sat there quietly. LaRussa leaned forward. "I'm going to ask you one more time, and be honest with me...did you do this?"

Adam didn't know what to say. He didn't do it, but there was no proof of that. There was only evidence against him, and false eyewitnesses. "I-"

Suddenly, Yadi burst into the room. "Tony, Adam didn't do it, I did!"

Wainwright knew it was a lie the moment that it came out of Yadi's mouth. He had seen Yadi leave right after he did, and he had even told Adam that he had to get home to help his wife pack for her trip to visit Wanda's mother, who was very sick. No way would Yadi have had the time to come back and do this, and Adam was pretty sure that LaRussa had the only key to let anyone in after-hours. 

Tony didn't know that, though. "Yadi...why would you do it?"

Molina glanced at Adam, as if expecting Wainwright to give him a good story, but the pitcher just shrugged. Yadi sighed, acting as if he were angry. He did pretty well for a guy who seemed like no one could make him mad. 

"Furcal stole my shin guards and hung them from the rafters before the game. I had to get a ladder and climb up there, and then busted my butt trying to help warm up the pitcher with the small amount of time we had left. I spray painted his locker for revenge."

The catcher looked down at the ground, "I'm sorry."

LaRussa leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "Yadi, you know how valuable I think you are and that I love the way you play, but if anyone else had done this, they would get punished. So, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to suspend you ten games."

Yadi nodded, taking the punishment willingly. LaRussa wasn't finished, though. "I also want you to clean off the paint on Furcal's locker and apologize to him immediately."

Tony dismissed them then, and as soon as they were out of his office, Adam said, "I'm going to find the person who did this and make them pay."

Yadi shook his head, "Please don't. Adam, sorry to say it, but if they hate you enough to try to frame you for spray-painting Furcal's locker, then I doubt that whoever really did it will come right out with it. Especially if you weren't the one that got in trouble, even with their lies."

Suddenly, the catcher stopped, a strange look coming into his eyes. Adam glanced at him. "What's wrong?"

Yadi shook his head, "No, no, no, no! My brother Jose's team is coming Tuesday! Those were the only three games I was going to get to play him this season, and now I'm suspended for all of them!"

Wainwright put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Yadi."

Molina tried to laugh. "It isn't your fault. Let's see who has the worst reaction when they see me cleaning Furcal's locker instead of you!"

The look that had been in his eyes went away immediately, to Adam's relief. They laughed the rest of the way to the locker room, and Yadi grabbed some cleaning supplies out of the janitor's closet. 

"It wasn't a lie...Raf really did hang my shin guards from the rafters."

When they walked in, Colby Rasmus snorted. "Lookie here, boys! There's the culprit!" he said, pointing to Adam.

Then Yadi spoke up. "Actually, I guess I did it. I got suspended for ten games and I have to clean the paint off of your locker, Raf."

Everyone gaped at him, including Furcal. When Yadi stepped towards him, Rafael looked like he might actually be cowardly enough to step back, but he barely held his ground. Yadi said in a voice that didn't at all sound truthful, "I'm sorry."

Then, he turned to Furcal's locker and started wiping the graffiti off. "Huh, big fat loser, original..." he muttered to himself, indicating to the words on the locker. 

All of the players started to whisper to each other. Adam saw Yadi smile satisfactorily when they both heard, "What are we going to do? We can't lose him for ten games!"


	3. Suspension

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when your best player gets suspended?

For the next ten games, the Cardinals looked terrible, losing 7 of the 10. The three that they won were by luck, a player on the other team dropping a routine fly ball in the ninth inning, allowing the Cardinals to score two runs to win it one game. Another, Albert Pujols hit a home run that was the only big hit for the Cardinals, two guys getting walked for only two of the five Cardinals that had gotten on base. The next was slightly better than either of the other two, the Cardinals loading the bases on actual hits in the seventh inning, and then the pitcher, Chris Carpenter, hit a single to untie the game. The Cardinals barely held on, Adam striking out the side with the bases loaded and no outs in the top of the ninth.

Since he was suspended, Yadi couldn't even be in the dugout or at Busch at all, so after the games, Adam would drive over to his friend's house to see if he had watched the game. Which, of course, Yadi had watched every inning of every single game, and Adam could see that it was killing the catcher to not be playing with his teammates. "Remember, this wasn't your fault," Adam told him, sitting down next to Yadi on the couch and watching the highlights from a 7-3 loss to the Pirates.

Molina sighed, "I know. That's what makes it even worse...knowing that someone else did it, and yet they get to play while I'm sitting here at home, taking their punishment."

It was silent for a while, both just enjoying the peace and quiet. "Hey, you get to come back for tomorrow's game at least. You can't let this get you down. We need you out there, Yadi. You're the guy that all of the pitchers trust more than anyone. When you're there, we have a little bit more confidence than what we have without you. Even if your batting has sucked lately," he said, a teasing tone in his voice when he said the last sentence.

Yadi glared at him, but it wasn't a real glare. A mischievous light came into Yadi's eyes, and the catcher laughed. "At least I didn't get hit in the head trying to catch a foul ball the other day in practice."

Adam opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't come up with a better comeback, so he just said, "Hey, that really hurt."

Yadi smiled. "I know. You complained about it all day long."

Adam threw a couch pillow at him, but of course, Yadi caught it and threw it back at him. Instead of hitting Adam, though, it hit the desk lamp, which thankfully didn't fall, before hitting the wall and falling to the floor behind Adam. Wainwright clicked his tongue at Yadi. "Seems like someone needs to work on their aim."

Yadi laughed. "Maybe you're right. I should aim for you more often, that way it will go wide and I'll actually make the throw to second."

Adam's smile turned into a frown. "What are you talking about? You have the fastest throw to second that I've ever seen."

Yadi shook his head. "Trust me, my throws aren't fast or even accurate."

The pitcher gaped at him, before knocking on Yadi's head with his fist. "Hello? Yadier Molina in there?"

Yadi stopped him. "Yes, I'm right here. I'm serious, Adam. I have about as good as a throw as that chair over there."

Wainwright was silent for a moment, just staring at the catcher, who usually had so much confidence in himself. "Am I hearing you right? The Yadier Molina I know would never doubt himself...or tell anyone if he did."

The catcher sighed. "I don't know, Adam."

Suddenly, Adam got up, and Yadi was getting ready to ask him what he was doing when before he knew it, Adam's hands were on his shoulders, pinning him to the couch and leaving Yadi nowhere to look but at Adam. In a low voice, the pitcher said, "Now, you listen to me. I don't want to hear you say ever again that you can't do something. Especially when it's something that everyone thinks you're great at, like making a throw to second. Promise me that."

Yadi tried to find somewhere else to look but in Adam's eyes. "I-"

"Promise me that, Yadi!"

The catcher gulped before looking at Adam again. In a small voice, he whispered, "I promise." 

For a moment, Adam looked like he didn't believe him, but finally, he let go of Yadi's shoulders and stood. Sitting down next to Yadi, he said, "I never even want to have this conversation again, alright?"

Yadi nodded. "Okay."

They sat in an awkward silence as Yadi was still slightly shocked and Adam was still trying to get Yadi's non-confident voice out of his head. Yadi finally spoke up. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay," Adam said, cutting him off. He looked over at Yadi, who was slightly pale, as if he'd just seen a ghost. His eyes were closed, and he looked a little shaky. "I didn't mean to scare you," Adam said.

Yadi fumbled to find the right word for what he was really feeling. "You didn't, just...I'm a little...shocked."

Wainwright nodded. "Yeah, I was a little shocked too. I've never heard you sound so.." he trailed off, not able to find a word to describe it.

He didn't need one, though, because Yadi seemed to know what he was talking about. "Yeah. I know. I'm sorry."

Another silence stood between them, before Adam finally couldn't take it. He put an arm around Yadi's shoulders. "Hey, who are we playing tomorrow?"

Yadi thought for a moment. "The Cubs."

"Are we going to win?"

Yadi smirked. "I would hope so. I mean, it's the CUBS."

Adam smiled. "Yeah, I hope we win too. The best part is that I'll finally get to throw to you for the first time in 90 innings."

Yadi nodded, though he still seemed to look a little shocked. Adam thought for a moment before he asked, "Do you want to know why I'm so excited for that?"

Yadi looked at him. "Why?"

Adam looked around, as if to make sure no one was listening before he said, "Don't tell Mike Matheny, but I'm excited because I get to throw to the best catcher ever."

A small smile lit up Yadi's face as he said, "Yeah. I hope you're right."


	4. One Celebration at a Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One game down, many more to go.

The next game at Wrigley Field went much better than anyone would've thought. The Cardinals ended up winning 5-2, Adam striking out the side to end the game. Yadi met him at the mound and hugged him. "See? Keep pitching like that, and soon, others will see too."

Adam shook his head. "I only struck out those three because of your expert pitch-calling."

Yadi smirked. "I'm not the one with the ball, though."

Adam had to give him that. Still, if it hadn't been Yadier Molina behind the plate, Adam wouldn't have been too sure what to throw. Thankfully, Yadi had come to the mound and calmed him down just by asking him, "So, what do you want to do after you strike out these guys?"

Wainwright had groaned and said, "That isn't one of those questions where I'm supposed to say 'I'm going to Disneyland', is it?"

The catcher smiled. "No, unless you want to. Something a little less harder to do, though."

Adam thought for a moment, then looked at the still-smiling catcher. "Eat pizza and celebrate?"

Molina laughed, "That's easier to do. I can get Wanda to order some pizza and we can invite the guys over. Our house isn't too far from here."

The pitcher merely smiled back at him. "Sounds like a plan."

Yadi patted him on the shoulder, and as he was walking back to the plate, he yelled back, "Let's get this done, then!"

It was how calm and collective his catcher had been that had actually made Adam calm down. Now, as they were shaking hands with the other team, Yadi smiled and looked every player in the eyes as he said, "Good game."

This didn't look or sound anything like the Yadier Molina that he had talked to last night, which Adam was thankful for. He didn't know if the catcher had only said those things last night because he hadn't been able to play, or if it had just been a moment when he had let his guard down. Either way, he seemed a lot happier now, smiling and talking to their teammates, having the time of his life.

After they had gone back into the locker room and Yadi had announced that they were going to celebrate at his house ("I had to ask Wanda first, though," he had said), everyone cleared out to head to the Cardinal catcher's house. Adam and Yadi, however, stayed behind for a few minutes. 

Molina was having a hard time getting his shin guards off, one of the buttons jamming and not coming loose. "Ugh, I knew I should've gotten new ones before the new season!" he had said, fighting and pulling on the strap that locked the shin guard to his leg. 

He pulled harder and harder, and though Adam tried to help him, the strap just refused to come loose. Finally, Yadi tugged on it with all of his might. The strap came loose, but the catcher had been pulling a little too much, and when it came unexpectedly off, Yadi ended up falling off of the bench and onto the ground. 

Wainwright had to laugh, just because of how hard they'd been trying to get it off. Yadi got up quickly. "You didn't see anything," he said.

Adam shrugged. "If you don't tell anyone about when the drinking fountain broke and the fountain spewed water all over me the other day, then I don't know what you're talking about."

Yadi looked up from pulling off the other shin guard. "What drinking fountain?" he said. 

"Exactly."

Yadi smiled. "How many games do we have left?"

Adam looked at the clubhouse calendar. "Uhm....43, I think. That's not very many. Yadi, we're in third place, and it'll take a lot to win the wild card. How can we do that in just 43 games?"

The catcher gave him a look. "Who's the one being unconfident now?"

Adam shook his head quickly. "I'm not, but I'm just saying; we're going to have to win a bunch."

Molina took off his hat, running a hand through his short, black hair. "I'm guessing we'll just have to take it one game at a time. That never killed anyone."

Adam nodded. "That sounds like a plan. I don't even want to think about that series against the Reds to end the season yet."

Yadi shrugged. "Then don't. Do what I do and play every game like it's the last of the season."

As soon as Yadi gathered his things together, they walked out of the stadium side by side. "Come on," Yadi said, looking back once at the stadium before meeting his friend's eyes. "One game at a time, one celebration at a time."


	5. Last-Minute Mistake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some mistakes hurt you. Others hurt the people around you.

The next game was going great. The Cardinals were up 6-4 when Adam came in in the ninth. He couldn't help but think, 'yeah, I've got this'. 

He did not have it. He got the first two outs with ease, striking out both. Then, two batters got base hits and he walked another to load the bases. The batter that was coming to the plate? None other than Miguel Cabrera, the one guy that you didn't want up to bat with the bases loaded and the game on the line. Yadi looked like he was going to come to mound because this was an important situation, but Adam waved him back. He didn't feel like he needed to be calmed down at the moment. He would just throw whatever Yadi called. 

There was one pitch that Adam didn't agree with: Yadi called for a fastball with the count full. Adam shook him off for the first time ever, surprising even himself as he decided to throw a curveball.

It was a nasty one too, but Cabrera managed to get a bat on it. Adam was relieved when he popped it up, the ball sailing towards the Cardinals dugout. Adam thought for sure that the ball was going out of play. Another chance to throw another pitch. 

Right whenever the ball would've landed in the dugout, though, Yadi was there. He dove for the ball, falling over the rail as he did so. From what his teammates inside the dugout would later tell him heatedly, Yadi landed headfirst, smacking his head hard on the bench and then hitting the ground with a loud thud. 

As Adam watched him fall, all he thought was that he shouldn't have shaken his friend off. He ran to the dugout, peeking over the rail. Tony LaRussa was down on his knees next to his catcher, who lay facedown on the floor. Tony leaned down, like Yadi was whispering something to him, and then took Yadi's glove off of his hand and looked inside. He looked shocked by what he found. 

Slowly, Tony took the ball out of the glove, holding it up in front of the home plate umpire, who had been watching the scene. The umpire made a fist and shouted, "Out! That's a ball game, folks!"

The guys on the team were giving him dirty looks. Colby Rasmus sneered at him and whispered angrily so that only Adam could hear, "Look what you've done. You could've just gone with what he had instead of trying to make a show of yourself."

A few of the trainers had arrived by then from the clubhouse, one trying to help Yadi onto his back. The Cardinals catcher waved him off like Adam had done to him only minutes before. Slowly, Yadi sat up, a hand going to his head as soon as he did. "Are you alright, Yadi?" Adam asked, although he received a few glares for even asking such a question, let alone speaking to the guy he had just probably given a concussion. 

Molina faked a smile and opened his eyes, looking up at Adam as he said, "I'm fine."

Wainwright knew it was a lie just by the look of pain in his friend's eyes. Adam knelt down on the other side of him while Tony asked him an assortment of questions. Yadi answered most of them except for when Tony asked, "Do you feel a little nauseated?"

On that one, Yadi looked away and said, "I'm fine."

LaRussa eyed him suspiciously. "That isn't an answer to the question I just asked."

They met each other's eyes then, and it was like they were having a staring contest. It lasted for an impressive two minutes before Yadi reluctantly nodded. "A little bit."

Tony felt the place where Yadi had hit his head on the bench, and the catcher winced slightly as Tony examined the injury. "Well," the manager finally said, "I'd say you probably have a concussion. I think it'd be safe to give you some time off and-"

"No."

"Yadi-"

"No, Tony. I'm playing every second of every game. I won't rest anyway, knowing that I can't play. Please, Tony, don't take me out of these last few games."

Their manager looked Yadi in the eyes again for a minute, before this time, he finally gave in and said, "Fine. As soon as we get to Atlanta tonight, though, I want someone to look at that bump you have on your head. Can you agree to do at least that?"

Hesitantly, Yadi said, "Yes."

Adam noticed that he was careful not to nod his head. Adam was concerned for his friend. How could he not be? He basically just gave a concussion to his best friend and his teammate because he didn't want to make himself look bad if what his catcher called wasn't the right thing. Yadi could read him like a book, and as soon as Tony left, Yadi looked him in the eyes and told him, "This wasn't your fault. You called what you thought was right. No one should blame you for doing what you felt was right."

Adam got up, holding out his hand for Yadi to help himself up with. Yadi stood a little too fast, and he nearly lost his balance. Wainwright caught him, though. "Careful, Yadi. Take it slow."

______________________________________

After Yadi had gone to the doctor's, who told him that he had a mild concussion and should take it easy for a few days (which Yadi completely ignored), Yadi and Adam made their way to their room. Most of the time, they had individual rooms, but this time the rooms were big enough for two people in each, so Adam bunked with Yadi.

Molina yawned once they had gotten in the room. He threw his stuff in his room and threw himself on his bed. Adam did the same, launching his equipment into his room, but he walked back into Yadi's room and looked down at his friend. He was already asleep. He groaned when Adam gently touched the bump on his head. 

Sighing, Wainwright pulled Yadi's cleats (that he hadn't taken off after the game) off of his feet before taking an extra blanket out of a drawer and laying it over him. Then Adam went to bed, hoping that Yadi was really as okay as he said he was.

He woke up in the middle of the night for some reason, sensing that something wasn't right. Adam silently got up, tip-toeing down the hallway. Slowly, he opened the door to Yadi's room. Surprisingly, his friend wasn't in there. Suddenly, Wainwright saw someone moving slightly in the light coming from under the bathroom door.

Cautiously, he opened it, shocked by what he found. Yadi was puking violently into the toilet bowl, stopping only to look up when he saw Adam. The quick movement his head had to make to do that made Yadi turn even paler than he had been, and he turned back to the bowl and started to vomit again. 

Adam knelt down beside him like he had the day before when Yadi'd hit his head. He put a hand on Yadi's back, comforting him as best as he could. Yadi stopped for a moment, looking at Adam, his eyes slightly dilated. So he HAD been feeling nausea after he hit his head, and he HAD lied about being fine. "Adam," he whispered, putting a hand on Adam's shoulder, closing his eyes and breathing hard. He opened his eyes and said, "Don't tell Tony," before he quickly turned and started to puke again into the bowl.

All that Adam could do was support his friend as he was sick, thinking the entire time that he watched his friend suffer that this was all his fault.


	6. Healing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When you get hurt, it isn't fun, and it isn't easy to keep it a secret. Especially not from your suspicious best friend.

Adam awoke the next morning, stretching once he had gotten out of bed. He remembered all of the last night's events, including the fact that his friend had lied and told him he was fine when Yadi really hadn't been what he called 'fine'. Yawning, Adam went to check on the catcher, hoping for the world that Yadi was at least a little better than he had been the night before.

Carefully, he opened the door to Yadi's room, relieved to find that he was still sleeping peacefully and not puking into the toilet bowl like last night. He walked over to the catcher's bedside, placing the back of his hand on his friend's forehead. Luckily, Yadi didn't have a fever, but he did open his eyes at feeling someone's hand on his forehead. 

Yadier sighed, sitting up cautiously. "I'm f-"

"No, you're not. Don't even try to tell me that you're fine. After last night, you should be concerned for yourself also."

He met Yadi's eyes, as if daring him to argue. After a few seconds, Yadier finally closed his eyes, knowing that he had lost this battle. Adam sighed. "Lay back down; we don't have to be at the Braves' stadium until four."

Yadi did as he was told, laying down again. He looked up at the ceiling, sighing heavily. It was silent, and then Adam heard Yadier sigh again. He shook his head, not able to hold back a chuckle. "You really hate being hurt, don't you?"

"I'd walk through Hell covered in gasoline before I would want to be hurt or hurting."

"Then you'd burn to death."

Yadier opened his eyes and frowned at Adam. "Adam, if I were in Hell, I would hope I'd already be dead."

Adam looked away. "Good point."

Another silence engulfed them, and finally, Adam sat down on the edge of the bed. "Maybe we should-"

"I know what you're going to say, Adam. I don't want to tell Tony. I'm f-"

"I told you not to say you're fine. You aren't. We both know it, and so should Tony."

Yadier sat up again, and Adam was about to push him back down whenever the catcher laid a hand on Adam's arm. "Adam, look at me. I don't want to tell Tony because if I go down with a concussion, chances are I'm going to be out for the rest of the season. I watched all of those games whenever I got suspended. I watched us lose 7 of those 10 games. I don't want to sit at home and watch my team win a World Series without me, either."

Adam sighed, looking away. "You promise that when we get back here, you'll actually rest and not argue with me about it?" Yadier groaned. "I don't know what's worse, being hurt or arguing with you about whether I'm hurt or not."

The pitcher smiled. "So you will?"

His friend sighed, closing his eyes. "Fine. If you don't tell Tony a single thing about me not feeling well last night, then yes, I won't argue about it. I'll just be unhappy and complain." 

"That's fine with me."

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Adam let his arms hang over the railing in the bullpen, watching the game intently. He couldn't help but let his gaze drift to the catcher. Yadi was good at hiding pain; he had learned that just by knowing him these past few months. Just like Adam, though, Yadier had a breaking point. Already he looked like he was in pain, but it seemed only Adam could tell. 

"Adam, they just called. Tony wants you out there for the last two innings."

The pitcher nodded, and started to warm up with Yadi's backup catcher, Tony Cruz. After the seventh inning ended, Adam walked out to the mound, replacing Chris Carpenter.

Up close now, he could see the fatigue in his catcher's eyes as he put down the signs. Yeah, he thought, he definitely isn't going to argue against getting some rest tonight.

After taking down the first batter, Adam called for a time out. Yadier took off his mask and made his way out to the mound. "What's up? Is something wrong?" he asked, genuine concern showing in his eyes. Adam shook his head. "I called this time out for you. You look absolutely exhausted."

"I'm fine, Adam," he said, it coming out more as a sigh.

Adam looked back at the umpire, who was tapping his foot impatiently. "Yeah, sure you are. Listen, let's just get through these two innings. You put down the signs and I'll throw it. Then we can go back to the hotel and you can sleep as much as you want. Deal?"

"I told you, I'm fine. But deal."

The eighth inning went smoothly, and in the ninth, Adam managed to get three outs after the left fielder dropped a routine fly ball. Yadi went out to hug Adam after he finished the game, more leaning on him than embracing him. "Come on, let's get you to the hotel so that you can rest."

"I'm fine, Adam," Yadier mumbled, but it was pointless since already, he was falling asleep on his feet. After they shook hands with the other team, they went to the locker room and grabbed their stuff. After they were all packed up, they went back to the hotel. Once inside their room, Yadi collapsed onto his bed, falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. 

Adam did the same as the night before, pulling off Yadi's shoes and placing a blanket over him. "Sleep well," he whispered before heading to his own room, falling asleep almost as fast as Yadier had.


	7. Walk-off Worries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From good, to great, to bad, to worse.

Yadier sighed, scratching his neck, which was covered in sweat. The Cardinals were down 2-1 against the Mets in the bottom of the ninth as he stepped up to the plate. Furcal was on first base, taking a large lead. Yadier knew that he couldn't bunt; he was too slow to run it out. He would have to be careful. 

So naturally, on the first pitch, a fastball, he swung with minimal effort. It didn't feel like he had gotten it all, but as it soared, he could only stop and watch in pure astonishment as it sailed over the left field wall. His feet were able to realize that he had to round the bases before the home run actually counted, but the whole time, Yadi was looking down at the ground with his mouth still hanging open. 

Once he got to home plate, he was bombarded by his teammates, who tore off his jersey as they celebrated their win. Finally, he was able to find a way out of the crowd, and nearly ran right into Adam. "Let's get out of here before the press starts in," Yadier told him immediately. 

Adam laughed. "What's the matter? Is the best defensive catcher ever a little camera shy?"

Yadier's face turned red. "No, I...it's not like that..."

Adam patted him on the shoulder. "Don't hurt yourself."

Yadier crossed his arms with a fake huff, acting like he was truly hurt. "You big meanie. At least I wasn't in the batting cages and swung so hard that I nearly hit CC in the head as my bat went flying out of my hands."

Adam grinned. "No, but you did hit Duncs, even though he was standing in center field, talking to the outfielders!"

Yadier shrugged. "He shouldn't have been standing there. He should know that the way I swing, someone's head'll get taken off if they aren't careful. You might as well just blindfold me and tell me there's a pinata nearby."

Adam put his arm around Yadi's shoulders as they walked out. "I just hope that it isn't me who's carrying the pinata."

Yadier looked up at him. "If they tell me it's you, I'll swing a little less murderously. Does that make you feel any better?"

Adam nodded. "Somewhat."

They stopped by the locker room for a moment to grab their stuff. Then, they walked side-by-side down the hallway that led to the exit. 

Yadi elbowed Adam in the ribs hard, sending the pitcher flying. "Why'd you do that?" Adam asked, getting up. Yadier cocked an eyebrow. "You're just like Duncs...not paying any attention..."

Adam lunged on Yadier. Equipment went flying as they wrestled, even though they weren't really punching each other. Adam finally managed to get an upper hand and ended up winning the match. "What was that you were talking about?" he asked, the look on his face smug. Yadier rolled his eyes, but couldn't wipe away the smile on his face. 

Adam helped his friend up. They gathered their equipment and kept walking as if nothing happened. They stepped outside into the warm night air. They were about to say their farewells whenever Adam grabbed onto Yadier's shoulder, collapsing onto his knees. The catcher caught him, helping his friend kneel on the pavement. Adam kept his hand on Yadi's shoulder to steady himself. Yadier's eyes scanned over him in concern. "What's wrong?"

The pitcher blinked several times. "I...I don't know. All of a sudden, I just felt...weak. And dizzy."

He brought a hand up to his head, closing his eyes. Yadier thought for a second. "Maybe you're dehydrated. Have you drank much water today?"

"No."

"Okay, how many fingers am I holding up?"

Slowly, Adam opened his eyes, squinting slightly. "Uh...four?"

"Two."

Yadier uncapped his water bottle. "Here, take a drink."

Adam held the bottle up to his lips and sipped it. Yadier sighed in frustration and tilted the bottle up, forcing Adam to drink more. Finally, whenever Yadier was satisfied and thought Adam had had enough to drink, he let Adam bring the water bottle down. His friend still looked a little confused and he wasn't thinking straight. "How about you spend the night over at my house? Wanda won't mind the last-minute guest, especially if it's you."

When his friend didn't respond, he waved a hand in front of Adam's eyes. "Hey, are you with me here?"

The pitcher nodded. "Yeah, I just..." He brought a hand up to his forehead, making a noise in exasperation. 

Yadier put a hand on each of Adam's shoulders. "Adam, look at me for a moment."

Adam did as he was told, lifting his head and meeting Yadier's eyes. The catcher tilted Adam's chin to the side, and then to the other side. His friend was still dazed. Yadier said, "How about we get you over to my house so that you can rest a little?"

It took Adam a moment, but eventually, he nodded. Yadier helped his friend to the car, his concern mounting.

By the time Yadier got home, Adam was asleep. He managed to gather Adam in his arms, being careful not to wake him, and at the same time trying not to dump him onto the concrete. Wanda opened the door before he could knock. "What happened?" she asked, her eyes taking in the sight of her husband's friend in his arms.

Yadier sighed tiredly. "He got dehydrated and I thought he was too dazed to be by himself, so I brought him here."

He opened the door to the guest bedroom, and gently laid his friend down in the bed. He pulled the covers over Adam. With one last worried look at his best friend, he left the room. Wanda brought him a glass of water to put on the bedside table where Adam was sleeping. "Is he alright?"

"He should be. He just needs a little rest."

Wanda gave him a sad smile. "I hope he feels better in the morning."

She gave him a kiss before she walked away. Yadier looked down at the cup in his hand. "Yeah. Me too."


	8. Going with the Flow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That moment when you realize that some things are falling into place while others keep crumbling even further.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is the first from this story that I actually JUST typed. I got done with typing it today, and decided it was good to go after reading it over again. So, here you go! :)

The next day, Yadier and Adam left for the game. Yadier kept stealing worried glances at Adam when he thought the pitcher wasn't looking. Adam didn't mind it; Yadier was just concerned. He would be, too, if the catcher had nearly passed out on him like he had on Yadier last night. 

Yadier approached him after the game, throwing a water bottle at him. "Great game today. Your pitches were more accurate than last time, and it looked like you had more curve on your curveball."

They walked down the hallway to the clubhouse together. Just whenever Adam was about to enter the room, Yadier grabbed his arm and pulled him to the side. "Are you okay?" he asked, the worry coming back into his eyes. Adam nodded, trying not to roll his eyes at the catcher. "I'm fine. I felt a lot better today than I did yesterday."

It took a moment, but finally, Yadier gave him a smile. "Okay. I just wanted to make sure that you weren't going to pass out on me again."

Adam whacked him on the shoulder with his glove before continuing into the locker room. On the way in, he looked at the schedule that was hanging on the wall. There was no way there were going to beat Cincinnati at this point and take the division title. They were six games back with only twenty more to play, and the Reds were having a hot streak, winning the last seven, four of which were shutouts.

A hand was suddenly on his shoulder, and he turned to see Chris Carpenter, the ace of the club. Chris hadn't really talked to him before, except for in the bullpen sessions when LaRussa was watching. Now, though, he also looked at the calendar, before meeting Adam's eyes. He smiled. "We'll find a way, kid. Don't worry just yet. Just keep throwing strikes like you did tonight."

Adam nodded, and watched as Chris walked to his locker. He was slightly surprised that someone besides Yadier had said something at least remotely nice to him, and he was still stunned as he, too, went to his own locker. Pujols quirked an eyebrow at him. "Dude, you look like you just saw a ghost."

The pitcher shook his head, and gave Albert a shaky smile. "Nah, uh, I'm just..." He trailed off, not knowing what to say. Pujols just rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to hanging up his jersey.

As he turned back to his locker, Adam smiled, and took off his jersey.

______________________________________________________________

"So he said something nice to you. That's a start," Yadier said, taking another Dorito out of the bag. Adam nodded. "Yeah. Just two weeks ago, no one would've said anything nice to me. I guess their hearts are finally changing."

Yadier flipped through the TV channels before finally landing on some cooking show. "Why are we watching this?" Adam asked, stealing the bag of chips from Yadier. The catcher sighed. "It's something Wanda has been nagging me about. Says I don't appreciate her cooking skills, so I have to make all of the meals this week. Thing is, I either lose and also lose my pride, or I win and have to cook every meal for the rest of my life."

Adam chuckled. "Ah, so she put you in a rough spot?"

Yadier took the bag away from Adam. "Yeah. I love her, though."

They watched the cooking show for a while, and Adam sighed. "Can we please change it to something else?"

When he looked over, though, he saw that Yadier was fast asleep. He chuckled, taking the remote and turning the TV off. Then, he nudged Yadier, who awoke with a start. "I'm sorry it's overcooked!" he said, before realizing where he was. He smacked Adam, who was laughing hysterically. "Jerk," he mumbled, before standing, rolling up the bag of chips.

"Go to bed. We have a big game tomorrow against Pittsburgh," Yadier grumbled, throwing the chips on the counter of the small kitchen in their hotel room. He then went into his room, closing the door behind him. 

Adam chuckled, but it turned into a yawn. Yadi was right; he needed some sleep. Adam trudged into his room, pulling back the covers and climbing into bed. He stared at the ceiling for what seemed like hours. He just couldn't fall asleep, even though he was trying very hard. He looked at the clock, and was surprised to find that it was already 2:30 A.M. when he had gone to bed at 1:30 A.M. 

Suddenly, Adam heard a noise come from outside. It sounded like a loud bang that came from the TV room. Slowly, he stood, grabbing his baseball bat from the equipment near the door. He opened the door cautiously, before he made his way down the hall. It was too dark to see, but another noise sounded closer this time. 

He put the bat back on his shoulder, and when he felt another presence slowly approach him, he took a deep breath and swung. "OW!" a familiar voice yelped, and they fell to the floor. Adam turned on the hallway light nearby, and was shocked to see Yadier laying on the floor, holding his head in his hands. "What? Yadi? Why were you up?"

The catcher looked up at him. "Most nights I can't sleep, so I get up and find my medicine that helps me. I guess I don't need it tonight, though, as I'll probably be able to sleep well after you whacked me in the head with your bat."

Adam knelt down beside him, and just seeing the mark on Yadier's head from the impact point made him wince. Yadier gave him a sheepish smile. "It isn't that bad, is it?"

The pitcher touched the wound lightly, and Yadier inhaled sharply. "Sorry," Adam whispered. Yadier closed his eyes. "It's okay. I've been hit a lot harder by Chris' fastballs in the same area."

He stood, swaying slightly, but he was able to catch his balance when Adam grabbed his arm. "You should probably be careful tonight when you do fall asleep. I don't want you going into a coma."

Yadier sighed. "I won't, I promise. I don't want to either. I heard that comas aren't fun."

Adam laughed. "Yeah, that's what I've heard too."

He made sure Yadier got to bed safely before he said, "I'm sorry. I didn't know it was you. I should've been more careful."

Yadier waved the apology off. "It's my fault. I mean, if I had heard noises coming from outside of my room at night, I probably would've done the same thing."

Then, he gave Adam a goofy smile. "Hey, I guess it was me who was holding the pinata this time, right?"

They both laughed, and Adam said goodnight and apologized again, and then returned to his room. He told himself he'd have to check on his friend's head tomorrow and make sure he didn't have a serious concussion. After the excitement, he fell asleep faster than he thought he would. The last thought that crossed his mind was the final series against the Reds at the end of the season. We're gonna beat them, he told himself, and then he slipped into sleep, smiling as he did so.


	9. Late Slump

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are times to laugh, and there are times to cry. There are also times when you have to suck it up and try your hardest, and times to fall apart. How do we tell these moments apart, though?

"It's amazing! Watching this team go from worst to first, and being able to see some of the greatest baseball that this generation has to offer has sure been awesome!" Mike Shannon said as Adam listened to the pre-game on the radio. Adam took a deep breath as he put on his high socks. Today, they had a divisional game with the Brewers, who, entering the series, were only behind them by two games. This series was very important to whether or not they would win the wild card. No other team was even close at this point to taking the "get out of jail free" card, as Yadi liked to call it. With only 10 more games to play, the Cardinals were playing for a sweep.

So when they had been shutout by the Brewers 7-0 the first game, it was really a heart breaker. Yadier was the most frustrated, it seemed, as he had struck out three times out of his four at-bats, and twice with the bases loaded with two outs. Adam had tried to comfort him, but the catcher was just too hard on himself, and by now, he had learned to just let Yadier sulk and feel sorry for himself. 

Now, Adam entered the dugout hoping to watch his team get a much-needed victory. His hopes were dwindling, though, as Prince Fielder launched a towering three-run homerun off of Chris Carpenter in the first inning. Then, in the bottom half, every Cardinal got on base, and the bases were loaded with one out when Yadier came to the plate. Adam watched him closely, and whispered, "Come on, Yadi. You can do it. I know you can."

The catcher struck out looking, and he slammed his bat on the ground as he walked back to the dugout. The wood shattered, but Yadier didn't pick it up. He left it on the field as he took a seat on the bench, putting his head in his hands. Adam sat down next to him, and put a comforting hand on his back. "It could be worse, you know."

Yadier shook his head in disbelief. "No, I don't think it could be worse, Adam."

The pitcher sighed. "You're only saying that because-"

"Adam, I have struck out every time I've been at-bat this series! I haven't hit well the entire season, and honestly, if I keep this up, I may not be here next year! Don't tell me it can get worse, because it can't at this point!"

It was silent, and even the crowd seemed to quiet, as if sensing the tension going on in the Cardinals dugout. Adam looked down at the dust on the floor. "If you have that attitude about it, then I guess you're right. You will get traded. It won't get better. You won't ever get another hit again."

Yadier shook his head. "That's not what I meant."

"Really? Then what did you mean, Yadier?"

The catcher looked up, meeting Adam's eyes. Adam shook his head. "After these past few months, I've looked up to you so much just because of how you seem to handle everything perfectly. If you were in a slump, you saw past it, and kept a smile on your face anyway. And now that the season's on the line, you're just going to...give up?"

Yadier looked away again. Adam stood. "I miss the guy that everyone looked up to. This new you...it's going to effect everyone if you don't find a way to change it. And not in a positive way."

He walked away, keeping his distance from the catcher as much as he could. In the fourth inning, Yadier flied out to left field with runners on first and second with no outs. The game was now 3-2 off of an Albert Pujols two-run homer in the third. Yadier nearly slammed his bat on the ground, but just it was about to hit the dirt, LaRussa grabbed Molina's arm. Adam heard Tony say, "Keep your head up. If you don't, you're going to find yourself on the bench. I don't care if you're hitting .300 or .100, but if you let a little slump like this get to you, and you start to let your emotions through, then I won't accept that. Get your head in the game and quit moping around."

The next time Yadier came up to bat, in the seventh inning, there was no one on base, no outs, and the Cardinals had managed to tie the game, but then lost the lead once again when JJ Hardy had singled to right with runners on first and second. Adam watched as Yadier adjusted his helmet. He swung at a pitch in the dirt, and Adam could tell that he was yelling at himself inside his head. He called time and stared at the ground for a minute. Wainwright could tell he was thinking, and whispered to himself, "Don't think, Yadi. Just swing."

The catcher played with the collar of his shirt before stepping into the batter's box. Adam held his breath as the pitcher threw the ball. It was so inside that it hit Yadier in the ribs, and he slammed his bat on the ground in pain. Before the trainers could get out onto the field, Yadier trotted down the first base line. He waved the staff away, and Adam heard him yell, "I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

The next batter was Rafael Furcal, who took one swing, and that was all he needed as the ball was sent on a ride right into the Brewers bullpen. "Keep it as a souvenir, Davis!" he yelled as he ran the bases. Doug Davis, the pitcher on the mound for the Brewers, shook his head and picked up the rosin bag, ignoring Furcal's chirps as he and Yadi rounded the bases. The Cardinals were now leading 5-4 in the bottom of the seventh. 

They ended up winning the game 7-4, as Pujols lined a two-run shot over the center field fence. They celebrated in the locker room, whooping and hollering over the huge win. Adam didn't participate. He merely gathered his things before leaving the locker room. 

Just as he was rounding the corner to the exit, he ran right into Yadier, who was returning from putting his own stuff in his car. Both fell to the ground, and Yadier helped him gather his things. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you-"

"It's fine," Adam said, and they stood. Yadier looked from the floor to Adam. "I-"

"I have to go," Adam said, looking down at his watch, pretending as if he were in a hurry. Something came into Yadier's eyes that he'd never seen before, but the catcher nodded as the glint went away, and he stepped aside to let Adam through. "Okay. I guess...I'll see you tomorrow."

Adam left Yadier standing there, and he didn't look back at him as he opened the door and stepped into the night air. He didn't feel like talking to Yadier today, and he definitely wasn't in the mood to hear him sound like he had earlier. 

Adam opened the driver's door, and sat in the seat. He just stayed there for a few minutes, reading his text messages. A new one popped up a minute after he had turned his phone on. It was from Yadier. 'Goodnight'. Adam didn't reply immediately, but finally, he responded. 'Sleep good'. Then, he added 'We'll talk tomorrow'.


	10. Bad Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone gets scared when they have a bad dream. But what happens when that dream only gets worse?

Adam would've talked to Yadier the next day, if he had had the chance. Everything was a mess, though, as the press kept trying to bombard the players with questions during the game. Adam did an interview inside the dugout just to settle them down somewhat, but by the time they had let him go, it was the top of the third inning, meaning that Yadier was on the field.

After the visitor's half of the inning, Adam was going to talk to Yadier, but the catcher was batting seventh today, and it was his turn to bat. It was still 0-0 when Yadier hit a double down the third base line. A passed ball got him to third, and then after Furcal struck out, Mulder hit into what should've been a groundout, but the shortstop overthrew the ball, and it sailed into the stands, and Mark ended up on second with one out, the score now 1-0 Cardinals.

Adam approached Yadier, ready to talk, but then the leadoff hitter hit into a double play, third to first. Adam sighed, and decided that he would just wait until after the game to talk with his friend.

It was a long game, in which that Cardinals and the Brewers went back and forth with the scoring. It was 6-5 in the bottom of the eighth, the Brewers leading by a lone run, when Scott Rolen shot a bases-loaded grand slam over the wall. The Cardinals barely held on, and Adam came in in the ninth to close out the game. They won the game 9-7, and the whole city of St. Louis celebrated the huge win. The Brewers were now three games back of the wild card with 7 more games in the season. It seemed like they were going to take home the first-ever wild card.

He was walking down the hall when Yadier pulled him over to the side. "Can I talk to you? Alone?"

Adam nodded, and they went down a long hallway that led to the equipment room. "I'm really sorry about yesterday," Yadier finally said. "I don't know what was wrong with me."

The pitcher sighed. "You were just frustrated, that's all. You got out of it, though. You did very good today."

Yadier stopped him. "I worked with Pujols in the batting cages last night. I have been for the past two weeks."

"See? I told you that doing that would help."

Molina nodded, but he still looked like a guilty puppy who had just spilled something. "You're not telling me everything, are you?"

Yadier took a deep breath. "After the batting practice, though...I didn't go home. I stayed here, wandering the halls for what seemed like hours. I don't even remember what I did, or why I was doing it. It seemed like I was lost. I finally came back to the clubhouse and fell asleep in one of the beanbag chairs, and even that was hard because I couldn't sleep because..."

He trailed off, and he looked so sad that Adam just wanted to hug him. "Because what?"

Yadier looked down at the ground. "I've been using that medication more and more because it's getting harder for me to find a way to fall asleep. I don't like the feeling of knowing that most nights, I have to drug myself to do the simplest thing in the world. I don't like not knowing what's wrong with me."

Adam put a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe you should stop using the drug and find a way to fall asleep by yourself. That way, it's easier on you."

Yadier looked away. "I..."

He sighed, his shoulders slumping. He looked so defeated, and Adam wasn't really sure why. Adam smiled anyway, hoping to provide some reassurance for his friend. "Hey, we have to go to Los Angeles for that series against the Dodgers. Maybe we can find a way to help you sleep then...without your medication."

His friend nodded, but still looked uncertain. "Does Wanda know that you're having problems sleeping?"

"Yeah, she knows. We've gone to the doctor for weeks now, and I keep having to go back because I don't know what's wrong. It's frustrating. The medicine works, but when I wake up, I feel even worse than I did before."

Adam thought for a moment. Then, he asked, "How are your ribs? It looked like it hurt yesterday when that pitch hit you there."

It took the catcher a moment to answer, but when he did, he said, "They hurt. But no one knows that. Except for you..."

Yadier gave him a mischievous grin, and Adam sighed. "Let me guess: I can't tell anyone."

His friend kept a smug smile on his face. "Not a single soul. I don't plan on letting an injury stop me from a potential chance at the playoffs."

Adam shook his head with a smile. "I should've known."

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After the trip to Los Angeles that night, everyone trudged into the hotel, exhausted and ready for bed. Adam bunked with Yadier for the series, and immediately, he tried to think of ways to help his friend sleep without having to use the medication. It didn't take anything tonight, though, because before Yadier's head even hit the pillow, he fell asleep.

Adam chuckled, said goodnight, and went to his own room, where he, too, was out like a light. 

It was the middle of the night when Adam woke up to an ear-piercing scream. He sat up straight, looking around the dark of his room. Adam got up, searching the wall for the light switch. He flipped on the lights before opening the door, wondering where the scream had come from. Maybe Yadier heard it too, he thought, and made his way to his friend's bedroom. 

Surprisingly, the door was locked, so Adam knocked. "Yadi? Did you hear that scream?"

No answer. Adam sighed, leaning up against the door. "Come on, Yadi, open the door."

After a few moments, Adam heard Yadier's muffled voice on the other side. "I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because...I just can't, Adam."

Adam shook his head and said, "Is something wrong?"

It took so long for him to answer that Adam was about to give up and go back to bed. "I guess you could say that."

"Let me in, Yadi."

Adam could hear the reluctance in Yadier's voice as he said, "Okay..."

The doorknob suddenly clicked, and Yadier opened the door. Adam searched him for any blood or injury of any sort. When he didn't see one, he met his friend's eyes and asked, "Are you hurt?"

Yadier shook his head, casting his gaze to the floorboards. "No. Not physically, anyway..."

Suddenly, it dawned on Adam, and he asked, "It was you who screamed, wasn't it?"

His friend nodded, and whispered shakily, "I...I had a bad dream."

Adam put an arm around his friend's shoulders, leading him over to the bed and sitting him down. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really, no."

"Do you remember it?"

"In a little too much detail."

They sat in silence for a moment. "You've had these dreams a lot," Adam said. "Right?"

The catcher nodded. Adam scooted closer to him, and put a hand on his back. "This is why you haven't been sleeping as well. You're afraid to because you're afraid you'll have another nightmare."

His friend didn't answer, just stared down at the floor. "Is it the same dream every time, or are they all different?"

"I don't know, Adam. Can you stop asking me all of these questions?"

"I'm sorry. I just want you to feel better, that's all. I don't like to see you upset. Or anyone, for that matter."

Another silence engulfed them. This one was longer than the last, but Yadier finally broke it. "It's the same dream every time. At the same time, though...I don't know how to describe it, but it's different. The same thing happens in the end, but how it happens is always different."

Adam let him regain his bearings because he could tell that Yadier was having a hard time speaking about his dreams. "In every one, someone I love or care about dies. And it's usually my fault. It's my fault...and yet I can't stop it from happening. It ends just whenever that person is about to die."

The pitcher put his arm around his friend's shoulders in comfort. Yadier looked up at Adam, and whispered, "My nightmare this time...it was about you. I don't even remember what happened, all I know is that it didn't end where it was supposed to, and I screamed because I saw you die in my dream."

His voice shook as he said, "It was so real..."

Adam took a moment to answer, but finally, he said, "Maybe you're having these dreams because you're being too hard on yourself. These dreams are just a result of your built-up anger towards yourself that you're feeling inside. I've noticed a change in you ever since you got suspended for those fifteen games."

Yadier sighed. "I know. I can't help it sometimes."

Adam smiled. "How about whatever you did during the game, you look at the positive things. I'll distract you from anything negative. I think that if you do that, you'll feel better about yourself, play better, and these nightmares you're having will disappear."

His friend nodded. "That could work."

He gave Adam a smile, the same smile he'd given Adam the day that they had met. "Thanks. You know, for not laughing at me."

Adam laughed. "Well, I'll have plenty of time for that when I have to help you get your shin guards off tomorrow."

Yadier groaned. "I should've just bought the new ones!"

Adam got up to go back to his room, but before he could, Yadier hugged him. "Thank you," he whispered. Adam smiled. "You would've done the same for me."

"Goodnight, Adam."

"Goodnight. Don't let the demons get you."

"Shut up, you jerk."


	11. Realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything makes sense now! Yay!

Adam didn't exactly remember how they swept the Reds in the final series of the season. All he could remember were a bunch of screaming fans and champagne flying everywhere as they celebrated clinching the wild card. It was all a blur, but at the same time, he knew that what happened had given them a chance. The Cardinals would play the San Diego Padres in the division series. Of course, it seemed like most people had little to no faith in them, with an exception of the St. Louis fans. 

It wasn't until a hand was clapped on his shoulder after the last game that Adam snapped back to reality. "Ready for the postseason, kid?" Albert Pujols asked, popping some sunflower seeds into his mouth. Wainwright sucked in his breath. "As ready as I'll ever be, I guess."

Albert looked down at him, assessing him carefully, before he said, "Take a walk with me for a minute, Waino."

Adam sighed at the nickname, but didn't object as he followed Pujols down a long hall that he'd never been down before. "You know, Yadier talks a lot about you."

The pitcher looked at Pujols. "Yeah. We're pretty close."

Albert nodded. "I guess I should probably tell him he was right, but I'll wait until the last minute anyway."

At this, Adam raised an eyebrow in confusion. "He was right about what?"

The first baseman chuckled, spitting out the shell of a sunflower seed. "He told me that you were the guy that was going to go places. I didn't believe him. I don't think anyone did. He saw something in you, though, that everyone else ignored. Now, it's sort of impossible to not see it."

Adam's eyes widened. "What? The water fountain didn't squirt water on me again, did it?"

Albert laughed. "No, that's not it. He saw your heart. You can play the game and be as good as you want, but if you don't love the game, then you'll never truly be great at it."

The pitcher shook his head. "What does this have to do with what just happened out there?"

Pujols sighed, leaning his back against the wall. "We need someone to close out during the postseason, Waino. We've got a pretty decent bullpen, but no one who can consistently throw strikes."

He stepped forward, and Adam almost backed up, but found a way to stand tall against Albert Pujols. The man looked him in the eye, and asked, "Can you do that, Adam?"

He didn't know what to say. Finally, he choked out, "I'll do the best I can, Al."

Pujols seemed to take a moment, and Adam had to hold his breath, hoping he'd accept this as an answer. Eventually, Pujols stepped back, giving Adam some space. He picked absentmindedly at the dirt with the toe of his cleat. "One more thing, Adam, before I let you loose."

Adam took a shaky breath. "What?"

Albert looked up. "Yadier is like a brother to me. We are very close, just like the two of you have been this year. When he came to the batting cages the other night, I could tell that something was bothering him. I didn't know what, so I didn't know how to fix it. Then, in Los Angeles, he came to me and told me what you had done for him the night before. I just wanted to say thank you, because he was not acting like the Yadier Molina I have come to know."

The pitcher shook his head. "You don't need to thank me. I know that if I were having trouble like he was, then he would've done the same exact thing for me. After all, what are best friends for but to have each others backs?"

Albert thought on this for a moment, before giving Adam a smile. "Seems like Yadier was right about that too."

"What?"

"He said you were a great friend and a good person. I like you, Adam. I think one day, everyone on this team will too, and maybe even one day, they'll look up to you. Keep throwing those strikes, kid. I think you're going to go places."

Albert gave him a pat on the back. "Now let's go beat the Padres' butts so that we can go all the way this year."

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

By the time they had arrived in San Diego the next day, Adam was completely exhausted. The night before had been so much fun. He had laughed until his head ached and his stomach felt like Jell-O. They had celebrated like champions, because, after all, that's what they all wanted to be by the end of October. 

He looked into the back at everyone as they slept. Albert and Yadi were in the very back, goofy smiles still plastered on their faces as they slept. Yadier was leaning against the window while Albert leaned against him, and Adam couldn't remember if they had merely fallen asleep like that or if they had passed out from all of the champagne they had consumed. Either way, almost everyone on the plane looked like the two, leaning against each other in some sort of way, and it was then that Adam realized something; this team was like a big huge family. You could only be accepted into the family if 1.) You loved baseball as much as the rest, and 2.) You played the season one game at a time.

It dawned on Adam that Yadier had been giving him advice on how to be accepted by these players without saying it.To be a part of this baseball family, you had to prove that you have what it takes to stay a part of it. So that's why they were so reluctant with me, Adam thought in his head. Still, it didn't make up for all of the cruel gestures and the words whispered about him behind his back. Adam still had the note from the day that they had all put his stuff in the trash cans. Take your stuff and get back to the minors.

Adam thought about that for a moment. That first week with the club...why had Yadier become friends with him? Why hadn't he just done what everyone else had, and let him go back? Why had he taken the blame for what someone else had done just so Adam wouldn't get framed or sent back down to Memphis?

All of these questions now were put together like a puzzle, and the answer stood out now, so noticeable that Adam couldn't ignore it. Yadier had been protecting him. Ever since the day they had met, Yadier had been sticking up for him when Adam didn't even notice. When he had taken the blame for the graffiti accident, Yadier had sacrificed playing against his brother for the first time ever just so that Adam wouldn't be the one sitting at home, watching the Cardinals play and wondering where he had went wrong as he prepared to move back to Memphis. Yadier knew that Tony had the utmost faith in him already, but Adam? If he had made one mistake, he would've gotten sent back down, even if he didn't do anything. 

When Yadier had gotten hurt because of Adam's mistake of shaking him off, Yadier hadn't blamed Adam. He had told him he was fine, and even pretended like he was, not because he didn't want anyone to know he was hurting (well, not whole reason, anyway), but because he didn't want the entire team to set Adam up again. That's also why he hadn't wanted Adam to tell LaRussa, because if Tony found out, then everyone in that locker room would've also found out and would've ganged up on Adam just to get him sent back to the minors. 

The only question left, the big one, the one that he would later ask Yadier and the catcher would laugh, was why had Yadier protected him? He was thinking on this so much that he didn't even realize it when he fell asleep, curled up against the window. Why had Yadier done all of that for him?


	12. The National League Division Series

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The moment you've all been waiting for...the playoffs!!!

The series against the Padres was a tough one. The Cardinals were expected to be beat in three games in the NLDS, which wasn't exactly the most reassuring thing a team wants to hear. It was the fourth game, the Cardinals leading the best-of-five series 2 games to 1, and the Cardinals were an out away from winning it and sending themselves to the NLCS against the Mets, who had swept whatever team they had played. Adam had been so busy working on his curve ball and any other pitch he could think of during the National League Division Series that he forgot what other teams were still in this thing.

Yadier called time with an 0-2 count on the batter, and the Padres crowd went crazy with the time they had to encourage the man at the plate. "Don't mind them," Yadier said, putting the ball in Adam's mitt. "I just want you to focus. We're going to go with a fastball inside. This guy will swing, trust me."

He patted Adam on the back, and yelled back, "Just pretend that we're playing catch in the bullpen, like we always do."

Adam nodded, and took a deep breath. One more out and they were one step closer to accomplishing what everyone else believed was impossible. One more out could send them to face the toughest team in the National League. One more out...and Adam had the chance to get it.

He stared down at the ball in his hand. The NLDS logo was printed where he gripped the baseball now. He took in the moment, letting the roar of the crowd fade as he zeroed in on Yadier's glove, which was as still as always. Eyes not off of his location spot, he went into his windup. Everything happened in slow motion from then on. The swing and miss. Yadier jumping up and running to him, hugging him tightly and yelling, "You did it! I knew you could!" The rest of the team running out, tackling him like a football team would, celebrating for the second time in these past few weeks.

When everything had calmed down and Adam's ears had stopped ringing, they were popping the corks on the champagne bottles again. By now, Adam knew how they celebrated: long and hard. Finally, after they had gotten done with their shenanigans, they all boarded the plane to head to New York for the National League Championship Series that would start that Saturday. 

He laughed at Yadier, who looked like he was about to pass out as Albert helped him onto the plane. "Hermano, you have to watch how much alcohol you consume," Albert said to the catcher. Yadier waved a bottle of beer at Pujols. "I'm just celebratin', Al."

A lot of the players were about as drunk as his friend, who had passed out as the alcohol finally caught up to him and he fell asleep against Albert as soon as they'd sat down.

Chris Carpenter sat down next to Adam, to Wainwright's surprise. Chris laughed when he saw the look Adam was giving him. "Don't worry, I'm not drunk. Are you?"

Adam shook his head quickly. "No. My limit on beer is two bottles."

Carpenter gave him a small smile. "At least you know your limits, kid. Wish I could say the same."

While everyone else slept, Adam stared out of the plane window at the clouds, fascinated by them as the rolled by. Before he had become a major leaguer, he had never been on a plane before. The guys in Atlanta, which is where he had been before they'd traded him to St. Louis, had always made fun of him for how long he would stare out of the window, just watching the clouds. Adam didn't mind the teasing. Watching the sky had always been something that had soothed him, ever since he was a little kid, looking up at the Georgia stars. Yeah, he was a stargazer, but he didn't mind. It was a part of him that no matter what anyone said, he loved. 

"You like watching the clouds, too?"

Adam jumped, and looked up from where he was sitting to find Rafael Furcal leaning over the seat, staring at him expectantly. "Yeah," he answered, looking back at the window. "S'pose it's pretty funny to you, huh?"

To his surprise, Furcal shook his head. "No. I used to love watching the clouds whenever I was really little. It always made everything more...peaceful."

Adam nodded, turning his gaze back to Rafael. "Do you still do it?"

"Nah, I'd get made fun of. Don't worry, though. I won't tell anyone."

Wainwright didn't know what to say, so he just mumbled, "Thanks."

Rafael chuckled, and shook his head. "Turns out I was wrong about you, Waino."

Adam raised an eyebrow. "Wrong about what?"

Furcal looked up at the ceiling of the plane. "I thought you were just some kid that didn't deserve to be here with us. Now that I've seen you in action, though...I guess you're alright. For a rookie."

Adam smiled as Rafael sat back down in his seat. He turned back to the window, watching the clouds again. He fell asleep like that, wishing that every night could feel like this. 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Mets were a scary-looking team. First off, there was the Cardinal-killer, Carlos Beltran, who looked just about as tough and difficult to pitch to than anyone Adam had ever seen. Then, there was Jose Reyes, who Yadier always admired as 'the fastest guy I've ever thrown out'. Finally, there was David Wright, who even Chris Carpenter was afraid of. "The guy can hit any of my pitches over the wall by just blinking at them!" CC said, throwing his arms in the air to make a point. 

Adam's eyes widened. "Really? Even your changeup?"

Chris nodded, seriousness set in his eyes. "The guy's amazing at killing pitchers. Whatever you do, don't let him sense your fear. He can smell it, they say."

He told Yadier this, and the catcher laughed so hard that he fell on the floor and nearly broke his wrist. "Chris struck the guy out on three pitches the first time he faced Wright!"

Wainwright looked down at his feet. "Oh..."

Yadier smiled at him. "Don't feel bad. CC is a big, fat liar. Emphasize the BIG and FAT part."

He said this quite loudly, and Chris' face came from around the corner. "Who are you calling big and fat, Molina? Like you have room to talk."

Yadier looked down at his stomach, putting a hand on it and looking at Adam. "I'm not that fat, am I?"

Wainwright looked him over. "Well...you could use a little less chub here..."

He pinched Yadier's stomach, and the catcher nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right. Gotta learn to cut off those pudding cups."

Albert Pujols gave them his 'I Have a Dream' speech, as Yadier loved to call it. He was always teasing the first baseman about it, giggling like a school girl who just got told a big secret. "He says the same thing every single year," Yadi told Adam as he adjusted his cap in the mirror. "Man, I can recite the whole entire thing. I usually mimic it behind his back when he isn't watching."

"I heard that!" Pujols shouted from the other side of the locker room. "That doesn't mean I won't do it!" Yadier yelled back.

LaRussa suddenly came in, and the room went silent. "I swear, I didn't do anything, Tony," Chris said. Tony rolled his eyes. "I'm sure you did, CC, but I'm not here to get on to anyone or yell at anyone. I'm here to give my team a little motivational speech. So, here it is: beat their hats off, boys."

"Yes, Tony," everyone said in unison, sounding like they were all in grade school and their strict teacher had just told them all to settle down. LaRussa shook his head before walking out, and everyone followed behind him. Yadier smiled at Adam, giving the pitcher his hat. "Are you ready to make history, Waino?"

Adam gave him a determined look. "I was born to make history, Molina. We all were."


	13. The National League Championship Series

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life can throw you fastballs, curveballs, and even change ups. But if you're the pitcher, life can also give you one pitch that ends or saves your career forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have completely memorized the story of the 2006 National League Championship Series game 7, from Yadier Molina's unforgettable home run to the first pitch changeup to Cardinal-killer Carlos Beltran. I really just want to capture the mood of that ninth inning, with the bases loaded, two outs, and the guy you don't want to face up to bat.

The Cardinals lasted to game 7 against the Mets, which was by far the most bizarre and miraculous thing that could've happened. Everyone had expected the Cardinals to lose the series with a sweep by the Mets. Now, here they were in the locker room in New York, nerves fluttering in their stomachs that butterflies couldn't even cause.

Albert Pujols suddenly stood, taking off his hat and looking down at the logo. "You know, guys, that people don't think we'll win this game. We know that the odds are against us. But they have been ever since the season started, and here we are. One game away from going to the World Series. People doubted us, and we still got here. They said we'd never make it this far, but we did. Screw the odds. If we go out there and give it our all, battle in every at bat, try in every play we make, then the odds don't stand a chance at beating us. This team...we are already champions by what we have accomplished just in these past few weeks. We are the St. Louis Cardinals. Let's go out there and let the world see who we truly are. Let's win."

They all cheered, and Yadier looked at Albert with a goofy smile. "Good speech, el capitan."

The Cardinals walked out onto the field together, heads raised high in a way that said 'I play for the Cardinals and I'm dang proud of it'.

It was a hard-fought game from both sides. The Mets would score, then the Cardinals would score. Finally, in the ninth inning, the game was tied 7-7 as Yadi came up to bat with a runner on. Adam pulled him aside and whispered, "Make 'em know the real Yadier Molina."

Yadier looked down. "What if I don't even know the real Yadier Molina?"

Adam smiled. "Then go up there and find out for yourself."

With that, Yadier walked up to the plate. Adam could tell he was nervous, but after Yadier took a pitch, just one look in his eyes and you could tell he was locked in.

With an 0-2 count, Yadi swung. It was hit hard, and everyone stood to watch the flight of it. Yadi rounded the bases, watching also. He leaped in the air with a joyful scream when it sailed over the right field wall. Adam had never seen Yadier so emotional than when he rounded the bases on that home run. 

When he came back, he hugged Adam and said, "I found out."

The next half of the inning, Adam went out on the mound, hoping for a big one-two-three inning to end it and send them to the World Series. Of course, storybook endings never go like that. He ended up getting one out, and then gave up a base hit. He got another out, and then gave up a double that didn't score the runner. He accidentally walked the next guy to bring up Carlos Beltran. Crap, Adam thought. 

Yadier called time and walked up to the mound. "Let's go with a fastball inside, and then we'll go from there."

Adam nodded, and took a deep breath as Yadier squatted behind the plate. Yadi didn't put down the finger for the fastball, but for a changeup. He mouthed 'changed my mind', which made Adam smile as he set into his windup.

The changeup was perfect and was called for a strike.

Yadier put down the finger for a curveball. Adam nodded, and threw it. He nearly had a panic attack whenever Beltran swung, but he fouled it back, to Adam's relief.

Yadier called for another curveball. Adam closed his eyes and took in the moment. 'Throw the best curveball you've ever thrown', he thought to himself, before opening his eyes and focusing on Yadier's still glove. 

Slowly, he went into his windup, and everything seemed to freeze as the ball left his hand. He could see the motion on the ball as it went to the outside corner, but then curved back into the strike zone. "Strike three!" the umpire called, and Yadier leaped up, running to Adam and hugging him. "We did it!" he shouted as the rest of the team piled on top of them.

Adam would never forget this moment, when his teammates were congratulating him and the Cardinals fans in New York were going crazy in the stands. Yadier still hugging him, only to be pried off by Pujols who pulled him into a hug and said, "Good job, kid."

Yeah. He would never forget a moment like that.


	14. World Series part 1

Adam didn't remember most of the night. All he knew was that Yadier had somehow convinced him to have a drinking game with him, and Yadier had won, cheered, and then passed out, in which Pujols caught him and sat him in a chair.

When Adam woke up, it was to a severe pounding against his skull that made him groan. He fought through the pain enough to look around. He realized he was on the Cardinals airplane, and sighed with relief when everyone else seemed to be as hungover as he was. 

Adam looked into the seat behind him to find Yadier sitting in Albert's lap, fast asleep against the first baseman, who was awake, but only barely. Albert didn't move so that he wouldn't wake Yadier up. "He's sure to be sick whenever he wakes up," Albert whispered to Adam, resting a hand on Yadier's chest as he adjusted himself.

Scott Rolen came out of the bathroom, his face an unnatural shade of green. "I recommend that you don't go in there if you get sick on smells," he warned, teetering to a seat nearby. Everyone looked like Scott; they were either on the verge of puking or they kept complaining about their heads hurting.

There wasn't enough ibuprofen to go around, so most of them just had to deal with the pain. Adam was one of the unfortunate people, laying his head back against the seat and focusing on the seat in front of him, afraid to look anywhere else and get nauseous. 

By the time his headache went away, the Cardinals had landed in St. Louis, having home field advantage in the World Series because the National League won the all star game. As soon as they stepped off of the plane, many of the players fell to their knees, breathing in the fresh air. 

He looked back to find Albert helping a still-sleepy Yadier down the steps. The catcher looked groggy, and even when he was standing on the ground, he clung to Albert for support. "It looks like I'm drunk, because everything is spinning, but I know I'm sober."

Adam caught his friend as he fell forward, and together, Albert and Adam helped their friend towards the exit. "I'll drive him home. Wanda will be worried sick," Albert said, sitting Yadier down in the passenger seat. 

"In my defense, I AM sick," Yadier slurred out as he laid his head back and closed his eyes. Albert closed the door with a chuckle, and then turned to Adam. "Thanks for helping me with him. I'm going to make sure he plays, though, sick or not."

Adam smiled, and searched for his own car. "I'd better get going, too. See you tomorrow at the stadium," Adam said, and Albert waved goodbye as Adam walked to his car. 

Just before he opened the door to the driver's side, a hand closed around his arm. When Adam turned, he saw Chris Carpenter staring at him. "You got a moment, kid?"

Seeing as he didn't really have another choice, Adam nodded. Chris let go of his arm. "We didn't get this far to screw up the World Series, Waino. Yadier told us all how you were gonna help us win it. I hope for your own sake that he's right, because if you go out there and you mess up this for us, then not only I, but the rest of the team will never treat you like we have these past few weeks. Right now, you're part of the family, kid. Enjoy it. Make the most of it. But keep in mind that one mistake could make you lose it. I like you, Adam, and so does everyone else on this team. Don't make us lose our trust for you. We got here because we're a family, and you helped us get here, which makes you one of us. Don't screw it up, kid. There's nothing this family hates more than seeing someone leave."

Adam gulped. "I won't mess up. I'm here to throw strikes."

After a moment, to Adam's relief, Chris smiled. "Yeah. So am I. We're gonna win this thing. And when we do, I guess first off, Yadier will brag about how he was right about you all along and how he'll never let us live it down, and secondly, we'll know who the true Adam Wainwright is."

Adam nodded. "I plan on winning, Chris. That's what I was brought here for."

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------

"He said all of that? Wow, for you to get Chris to be that serious, you must amaze him," Yadier said over the phone. Adam smiled, grabbing the bag of pretzels on the coffee table. 

"Yeah, I guess. I just can't wait until this World Series is over and won, and then we can hang out without having to worry about games."

He heard Yadier talking to someone in the background. Adam asked, "Who else is there with you?"

"Albert. He's being a jerk, too. Stop throwing Cheetos at me!"

Adam laughed, and said, "So I guess you're feeling better?"

Yadier hummed. "Yeah, a little bit. That was some night, though. It was worth it."

Adam chuckled. "What are your plans for this offseason?"

There was a pause. "I think we're gonna go back to Puerto Rico to stay with my parents until Spring Training. Ever since I've been in the majors, we've done that every offseason."

Adam was a bit disappointed, but didn't let it show as he said, "That sounds fun. I'll find something to pass the time with. Maybe hang with my brother a little."

Yadier yelled at someone on the other end before returning. "I probably won't get to see neither Bengie nor Jose by the end of the offseason. In fact...I haven't seen them in what feels like years."

Adam felt bad for Yadier, who sounded a little bit hurt by the realization, but returned to having his normal cheerfulness as he said, "Well, I'll talk to you tomorrow. Albert and I are gonna have a sleepover!"

Adam smiled. "You two better not set the town on fire, because if you do, I'm not bailing either one of you out of jail."

Yadier laughed. "What makes you think we'll do that?"

Adam shook his head. "I'll check the news in the morning to make sure you didn't do anything majorly stupid."

He could see the grin on Yadier's face as he said, "Man, if I do anything stupid, you'll be doing it with us."

Adam had to admit, the catcher had a point. "Well, have fun tonight. See you tomorrow."

"Alright. Goodnight, buddy."

Adam sighed as Yadier hung up. "Goodnight, buddy."

He laid back in his bed, tangling his fingers together and making a small pillow with his hands. He stared at the ceiling, and closed his eyes. Deep thoughts started to come to him, but one stood out. How would he pitch against the Detroit Tigers?


	15. World Series Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are moments that you'll never forget. Not all of these moments are good, and not all of them are bad, but they stay forever etched into your memory. The best moments stay with you for eternity.

It was game five. The Cardinals were leading the World Series 3 games to 1. So whenever Adam was called in to pitch in relief of Jeff Weaver in the ninth, he felt butterflies in his stomach as he approached the mound.

Of course, Yadier noticed his nervousness immediately, smacked him in the head, and said, "Don't over think it. Let's just play catch. Got it?"

Adam raised an eyebrow. "What made you get so authoritative?"

Molina shrugged with a smile. "I'm just as excited as anyone else, but it isn't over yet. We still have to get three outs."

Adam looked around at the people in the stands, and the pressure was almost too much. Yadier put his hands on his hips. "Get these outs so I have a happy reason to get drunk tonight."

Adam shook his head. "You just love to celebrate and pop corks, don't you?"

Yadier made sure no one was listening before he said, "Heck yes, I do. But that's beside the point."

As he walked back to the plate, Adam yelled, "It isn't a secret, you know!"

Yadier turned with a grin on his face. "Neither is this guy," he said, jabbing a thumb towards the man standing feet away. The batter gave him a look, and Yadier shrugged. "No offense or anything."

Of course, Yadier wasn't lying, and the batter struck out on a high pitch. The guy stared at Yadier. "How did you..?"

Yadi sighed. "It's all in your scouting report, bud."

The man walked away quickly, glancing back at Yadier as if he were scared. Adam shook his head as Yadier came to the mound again. "What the heck did you tell him?"

Yadier tilted his head to the side. "I told him it would be high. And it was. He still missed because I know that that guy loves high strikes, but he can't hit 'em."

Wainwright smiled. "Scouting report?"

"Oh, yeah. What do you think I do whenever I can't sleep at night? The only difference between me and a stalker is that it's legal."

The catcher walked back to the plate, squatting into his catcher's position. "Man, what to call, what to call?" he wondered out loud. The batter took a few practice swings on the box as Adam played with the rosin bag, giving Yadier some time to get in this guy's head.

"How about we go with...curveball. Yeah, the good 'ol curve. This guy's got a nasty one too. But I think you can handle it."

Yadier called for a curveball in, and as he had predicted, the man swung and missed. "Oh, tough break there. Your bat was just inches away from smacking that one. I'm sure you'll get the next one, though."

He went with the same thing, and the batter fouled it back. "Wow! You got a piece of it! Good job!"

He called for a fastball quickly. "Here comes another."

The batter swung and missed at what he thought would be a curveball, but instead was a fastball right on the corner. "So close. Now take a seat."

Adam laughed at Yadier as the next guy came up. Yadier said something to him, and the guy smirked and said something back. Yadier shrugged, giving Adam a smile as he put down his finger for a fastball.

It was right down the middle, and the batter looked at Yadier's glove that concealed the baseball. Yadier threw the ball back, putting two fingers to his mask where his eyes were. 'Follow me'.

Adam threw a change up in the dirt that man swung and missed on. The next, a curveball, was outside and low. He cursed as he took the ball in his hand, looking in to see what the catcher was going to call next.

He nearly gasped whenever he saw the sign for the sinker. Yadier had told him before the game that he wouldn't call that unless it was a last resort. The reason for this was that Adam hadn't thrown his sinker in so long that he almost couldn't remember the grip for it.

He was uncertain, but Yadier put those two fingers to his eyes again, and that made Adam realize that Yadier knew exactly what he was doing. He let the ball go, and to his shock, it was perfect. It sunk down and painted the low outside corner for strike three.

Adam's head spun as the crowd cheered. They had just won the World Series. Yadier threw off his mask and came running to him. Adam knew how to react. They both leaped in the air at the same time, making a picture that they would look at in the future and remember again what it felt like to be in that moment.

"What did you tell him this time?" Adam asked.

Yadier pulled away and smiled at him. "What I've been telling everyone ever since we met. That you're the greatest pitcher that I've ever seen."

Adam smiled as they pulled back into an embrace as their team gathered around them. "Your St. Louis Cardinals are the World Champions of 2006!" the announcer yelled over the loudspeakers around the stadium. Adam grinned. Yes. Yes they were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just because it's the end of the World Series doesn't mean this story is over. The final chapter, chapter 16, will be posted Thursday. Hope you enjoyed this story so far, but it isn't over quite yet. :D


	16. Eight Years and Another World Series Later....

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time flies whenever you're playing baseball because unless you stop to think about it, you never realize it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter! Hope you guys have enjoyed this story and love this last chapter!

"It's been ten years today since the Cardinals catcher, Yadier Molina, came into the league," Mike Shannon said as Adam Wainwright turned on the pregame show on the radio. Yadier sighed. "Turn that thing off."

He looked tired, but he always did now. Adam knew that even eight years later, Yadier still had trouble sleeping. 

Adam did as Yadier said, shutting off the radio. Yadier was staring down at his glove, polishing it like he did every day. The media kept trying to break in and talk to him, but honestly, ten years wasn't something Adam would want to talk about either.

Just as Adam sat down next to the catcher, lacing his cleats, he got a text from Matt Holliday. 'Bring that kid down here. We have a surprise for him, but don't tell him about it'.

Adam closed the message before looking at Yadier, who was staring at the letters engraved on the glove: Pai #4.

He put a hand on his friend's shoulder to comfort him. It wasn't often that Adam caught Yadier thinking about his father, who had died in 2008, but when he did, Adam always tried to pry his attention away from the subject.

This time, though, Yadier didn't even look up at Adam. He just whispered, "It's been six years since he..."

Yadier trailed off, turning his head away from Adam so that the pitcher wouldn't see his tears. Adam shook his head, putting a comforting arm around Yadier's shoulders. "I'm here if you ever want to talk about it. Okay?"

Yadier nodded, sniffing slightly and wiping away his tears with his hand. "I should be over this by now. Just another anniversary."

Adam sighed. "How about we just ignore it, okay?"

Yadier was silent for a moment. "How old am I, Adam?"

Now he was concerned. "Yadier, you're 31."

The catcher looked at him. "Just yesterday, I was 21. Or that's what it feels like. I hate time. I wish it would just stop for a minute before I'm 41."

Adam laughed. "Well, I'm 32. Imagine how old that makes me feel."

Yadier smiled slightly. Adam punched him lightly on the shoulder. "C'mon. Let's go down to the hangout."

As soon as they walked into the small room, both noticed it was completely dark. "Has no one been in here today?" Yadier asked. Suddenly, the light flicked on and the team shouted, "Surprise!"

Yadier pretended to smile, but Adam could see right past it. "Wow, guys. Um...thanks."

There was a banner that said 'happy ten-year anniversary'. As he neared the table, he saw a cake with the same thing written on it in icing. 

Everyone began laughing and telling him congratulations, and it became so overwhelming that he ran out of the room and into the hallway. It went silent. "Is he okay?" Matt Carpenter asked. Adam sighed. "I'll handle this. You guys just stay here. Have fun. I'll talk to him."

With that, Wainwright went into the hall to find Yadier huddled against the wall, knees to his chest. He was breathing hard, as I he had just ran a mile, and tears were threatening to fall down his face.

Adam sat beside him. "I'm sorry. I didn't know they were going to do that."

Yadier said shakily, "It's okay. It's no one's fault but mine."

Adam looked across at him. "Are you alright?"

Yadier started to nod, but hesitated. "Honestly...I don't know."

He looked down at his hands. "It doesn't seem that long ago, does it? When we first met?"

The pitcher looked away. "No, it doesn't."

Yadier met his eyes. "Where did the time between then and now go?"

Adam shook his head. He didn't have an answer. He put an arm around Yadier's shoulders. "Need a hug to cheer you up?"

Yadier shook his head, but there were tears in his eyes. "Yes, you do."

He pulled the catcher into an embrace. Yadier cried into his shoulder, and Adam patted his back. "Just let it out."

"I'm just so tired," Yadier whispered. Adam looked down at his friend sadly. "I know. Want me to tell Mike, and maybe he can give you a game off?"

Yadier immediately said, "No."

"Then what do you want to do?"

Yadier pulled away slowly. "Play baseball and try to sleep like I do every night."

Adam nodded. "Okay. Do you want to go back in there, or do you want to just go get ready for the game?"

Yadier sighed. "I guess I'll go back in there and apologize for running out on the guys."

Adam smiled. "Alright."

After the game, Adam and Yadier were sitting on the couch in Yadi's hotel room. Adam had abandoned his for the night because he knew Yadier would have trouble sleeping again, and they watched Friends for most of the night. 

It was around midnight whenever Adam noticed Yadier's head drooping. He pretended like he didn't know, because Yadier would never allow his guard to go down for the rest of the night if he knew Adam had saw.

Instead, he turned the volume down slightly, until finally, it was barely loud enough for Adam to hear. Yadier was snoring slightly. Adam caught him when he fell over on the couch. He was amused whenever Yadier didn't wake up.

He tapped Yadier's cheek. "Yadi, buddy, wake up."

Yadier stirred. "Hmm?"

"Let's get you in bed, alright?"

The catcher took a deep breath. "Mhmm."

Adam helped him stand, leading him to his room and making sure he was comfortable after he laid down. His friend fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Adam pulled the sheets over him. He was about to leave when he stopped.

He walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge of it. "No matter how many years pass by, we'll always be best friends. You can be sure of that."

Adam then stood and turned off the light with one last glance at the sleeping catcher. "We'll always be best friends."


End file.
